From Ashes to Stardust
by Hotcheese
Summary: After Natsu dies on a mission, the guild becomes distant towards Lucy. Struggling after another unexpected tragedy strikes, the only person Lucy is able to turn to is Loke. A long winded romance. ( Rated M for trigger warning, violence, language, and possible future lemons )
1. Chapter 1

So basically I revamped my experimental first chapter &amp; decided to go through with this story. Expect most chapters to be far longer than this one.

Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader.

If you like Jet then you're gonna have a bad time.

* * *

He didn't bat an eye when Natsu ruined his chances with her. The guy truly did love her, but he was too selfish to resist putting his desires before hers. Never did he take her on a single date; his idea of taking her out was going on a fierce mission where her clothing would inevitably be destroyed and he would have to save her from a ridiculously dangerous situation, usually of his causing to be begin with.

But then he died and everything changed.

Although she'd taken it better than most had expected, it was still troubling nonetheless. For one, she was no longer loud and cheerful. Her vanity rarely saw the light of day. She didn't bother to style her hair in the usual fashion; side ponytail and all.

It was obvious that Natsu's death had an influence on the changes within her.

For the most part, she just sat quietly and stared into space. But the crying... It didn't happen often after the first week, but when it did it lasted for hours. Crying wasn't even an accurate word to use, though. Nor was sobbing. She would be _screaming_. Absolutely resistant to any attempts to calm her down. It was brutal, and he'd have to restrain her in some cases because she'd be so wild that she'd break things in her hysterics.

The only person she was willing to be around anymore was Erza Scarlet. Sometimes she could stomach being near Gray, but when she saw the change in him it was too much for her and the guilt set in.

He was forced to sit and wait in the Spirit World when Jet treated her like complete garbage. He knew that imbecile had no idea what to do with his hands or how to treat a woman. He also knew that it was her loneliness more than anything which was keeping her with that man.

It took his attempted rape on her person for Loke to finally snap.

Before that, he'd known something was off about their relationship. The way they interacted while he was around was very strained, sort of like the acting in a really shitty day drama. When he asked if Jet was being good to her, she'd say everything was great before swiftly changing the subject. He became nearly overwhelmed with concern, but then she stopped calling him out so he stopped coming.

He wanted to touch her so bad. But he'd only do it with her explicit permission. Sometimes he'd be tempted to open his gate to ask her how she was doing. But he knew how she was doing. He just wanted an excuse to see her.

Aquarius would often pressure him to check in on her, of course under the pretense that he not let Lucy know it was she who sent him. He always refused though.

She needed someone and he wanted it to be him.

* * *

Every day Lucy missed her handsome prince.

There was something about his presence that was soothing to her. His happy disposition was exactly what she needed in her current state. She wanted to summon him all the time, but she thought it too selfish to bring him to the human world just cuz she felt lonely.

But lonely wasn't an accurate description of the way she felt. Miserable. Depressed. Guilty. Ugly.

She was everything bad in the world because she couldn't save her best friend. He died in a failing relationship. He loved her so much but there was nothing left for them. Late nights staying up talking about their future together turned to awkward silences where they'd find any and every excuse to be away from each other.

Their final kiss as he bled out was even a disaster. Their noses smashed together painfully, and a hollow laugh was the last bit of life he let out before he was no more.

After he died, everything changed. She was absolutely horrified. She'd hole herself up in her apartment for days on end and lay in bed refusing to get up. At first, her friends would visit her to try to console her, but she'd aggressively reasoned that she didn't deserve to feel better after such a failure on her part to protect those close to her.

Slowly, they started to drift away until only Erza could bear witness to the heartbreaking sight of her. She was incapable of leaving her behind. If she could wait for Jellal, she could be there for Lucy.

Gray would try his best to be there, but he could tell she didn't feel worthy of his friendship after "killing his best friend". There was no getting through to her and he didn't understand how to handle such a delicate situation. Girls crying wasn't his forte. And what had happened was so scarring. He couldn't tell her things were going to be okay; they weren't okay. Their closest friend was dead. He was never coming back.

And then she found Jet. More like Jet found her in an extremely vulnerable state and saw an opportunity unlike any other. Rather than wait for her to recover from her traumatic loss, he took advantage of her damaged psyche.

Distraught and, for lack of a better word, butt-hurt at his inability to obtain Levy, he took aim at, what was in his mind, the next best thing. Part of her probably knew this, but she felt like she was stuck behind an opaque wall and her soul just watched her body interact from day to day.

Lucy didn't really hide his abuse from others; no one was willing to investigate into their relationship to begin with. Except Loke, but she didn't have the nerve to face him like this. He would be furious, she knew, but Jet was the only man willing to be with her after what happened with Natsu. She couldn't fault most men for not wanting her; she had nothing to offer in her condition.

However, most of her friends and guildmates knew something was off between them. Whenever they were together they rarely talked. And if someone was talking it was almost always him; she'd give one worded answers, and he'd give her pointed looks that almost always promised consequences of a darker nature later on.

It was prudent that she agree with him in public, because if not, she'd pay the price when they were alone.

Of course it didn't start out awful. The first few weeks of their relationship he was really sweet and treated her like she was his world. He'd always tell her how cute, smart, and strong she was. Every week he'd do really cheesy shit like take her on dates or buy her random presents.

Then he made the transition from loving boyfriend to restless, controlling fuckwad. At first it was little things like him insulting her clothing preferences. He'd refer to her as "his little slut" sometimes, which really hurt her, but she didn't want to upset the balance of their relationship.

It turned from a relationship, however, into utter domination. He would fault her for every characteristic that differed from Levy and make her pay for it.

The first time he hit her was because she denied his request for her to change her shirt. He claimed her large breasts to be sloppy and disgusting and wanted her to cover them up in public, because only he was allowed to see how foul a creature she was. When she hesitated, he proceeded to punch her in the stomach. In the aftermath, while she was crying, he grabbed her by her hair, yanked her head back, and reminded her how it all could have been avoided if she'd cooperated like a good little slut.

She wasn't dead, but this was the next best thing.

* * *

The barrier between her mind and reality finally broke on the day Jet decided he wanted to be a little too ambitious about his intentions towards lovely Miss Lucy.

Jet picked her up at her apartment that morning so they could walk to the guild together. He knocked on the door and waited several seconds before becoming irate. He went out of his way to pick her up from her dingy place, and she wasn't ready the second he arrived. Well that didn't sit well with him.

They'd been together for 3 months, and he tolerated her never putting out so the least she could do was show him a little respect and be prepared to bow to his will.

The instant she opened the door, he was on her. He pushed her back in and slammed it shut behind him, locking it just to be safe. For several seconds, they just stared at each other. Then he made the first move, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and jerking her forward to him.

"Jet, please..don't hurt me," she whispered pathetically.

"You really expect me to wait for you out there like a little lapdog without punishing you?!"

"That's not what I said at all...," she corrected.

He fisted his hand in her hair," Talk back to me like that ever again and you'll find yourself wishing you'd died along with that fuck of a teammate. But I'll deal with you later. Can't have you walking around with bruises on that ugly little face of yours today."

After having cleared that up, he made a complete character transformation, grabbing her hand and leading her out the door, intending to make good on his promise to take her to the guild that day. Halfway there, he looked at her with a very forced smile. Her tears had almost dried at that point so she was able to return his stare.

"Baby, I love you. You know I have your best interests in mind," he said, grinning in earnest. She just nodded in agreement, not willing to question such a sentiment after the consequences of her talking back previously.

One thing she noticed was he never apologized. Implied or not, she'd never catch words of that nature leaving his mouth. He wasn't sorry, he was ecstatic that it was becoming easier and easier to have a little android girl who was programmed to do exactly as he wanted.

The only issue was she still wouldn't give everything to him. He wanted her so bad and screwing girls on the side just wasn't cutting it anymore. However, he planned to change all that today. At the guild he was gonna give to her so good she'd never deny him again.

They entered the guild, hand in hand, silent as per usual.

As they passed their guild mates, most refused to look their way. When Lucy chanced a glance at some of her acquaintances within the guild, they avidly avoided making eye contact. She supposed she didn't blame them. It was hard to look at the person who failed to protect the guild's most beloved member.

He led her up the second floor of the guild hall and into a storage room filled with old furniture and boxes that were soon to be rid of.

He pulled her close and rested his hands on her lower back," C'mere, little lady," he murmured gently, their lips less than an inch apart. She nodded meekly before allowing their lips to make contact. His kisses always started off sweet, but usually took a turn for the sloppy and aggressive.

That being said, she kissed him back with all she could give. She was so lonely, and even though he was so awful to her, his touch was still somewhat comforting. Being held by someone who disrespected her in every way was preferable to being alone at this point. All alone, she was incapable of hiding from herself.

As usual, his hands lowered and firmly grasped both her ass cheeks. She jolted as she immediately was set on edge. This had happened a million times before, but it never seized to scare her," Jet, please stop," she mumbled with little conviction.

She knew he wouldn't stop until he felt like it. Her hands grasped his wrists and removed them from her ass, but he slapped her hands out of the way before leading her backwards to a disgusting and dingy looking couch. Grabbing the backs of her thighs, he pulled her legs out from under her, then spread them so he could reach his goal in between.

When her legs fell out from underneath her, her head made contact with the floor, just barely missing the couch. She was almost positive he'd meant for her to land on the couch, but seeing as the blow to her head paralyzed her for several seconds, he seemed to like this outcome much more.

He began to rub soothing circles between her legs, trying to awkwardly find her clit through her clothing," That feels good, doesn't it?" he asked, smirking as she struggled to focus on his face.

She reached for his hands to try to remove them from her body," I...," but before she could formulate a response, he lifted her up by her hips before slamming her back down, her head making contact with the floor again. She couldn't stave the sound of agony that left her mouth, and her vision went black for a few seconds.

This was much more effective than trying to guilt her into putting out. He'd figured she'd wear down and give in, but that was the only thing she always held firm on. Even now, with her being disoriented from the strikes to her head, it was already much easier to spread her open.

As soon as her resistance tapered off, he was back at it, attempting to pleasure her. His pointer and middle finger rubbed harsh circles between her legs this time, and she felt guilty at the pleasure it brought her, a dark wet spot developing in the crotch of her shorts," That feels good on your pussy, doesn't it? It feels even better without clothes in between. Let me make you feel good," he whispered. Her body wanted him so bad, but her mind couldn't stand the idea of him inside of her, so she struggled against him further. Jet repeated his earlier action of lifting her and slamming her back down. He robustly rubbed her and like a light switch being flickered on, her fight or flight instincts came to life.

It was almost like some of her soul came rushing back into her and she went into immediate panic mode. Since his hands were busy trying to force an orgasm on her, he had no means to cover her mouth when she started yelling," Get off! Please, get off!" Her legs flailed, trying to kick him off, but he remained strategically placed right between them and wouldn't allow them maneuverability.

She started clawing at him and trying to get away from him, screaming and moaning like a cornered animal, ceasing her motions only when he lifted her to slam her head back to the floor, effectively knocking her unconscious momentarily.

And then her handsome prince arrived.

* * *

R&amp;R please


	2. Chapter 2

He could feel her panic from the other side. Loke promised himself that he would remain in the Spirit World until she called on him, but he could feel her pure terror through their bond and he immediately opened his gate to come to her rescue.

What he saw was not what he expected to say the least.

That fuckboy Jet was all over his beautiful princess, and she was squirming and panicking, trying to remove him from her person. It took less than a second for him to react; he didn't need to waste his magic on this lowlife. He performed a swift roundhouse kick to the bastard's head, and he went flying into a pile of boxes.

Frantic footsteps could be heard from outside the room. They belonged to the master, and although Lucy's cries weren't terribly loud, he could clearly hear them. He didn't know for sure the nature of the happenings in there, but he had a sneaking suspicion, and he sincerely hoped he was wrong.

In the next second, the master came barreling in. It took him mere seconds to evaluate the situation. Lucy sat up, one hand rubbing the back of her head and the other covering her face in a useless attempt to hide her tears as they cascaded down her face. Loke positioned himself between where Jet had fallen and where she was sitting, refusing to allow the scum to even think about advancing on her once more.

A groan could be heard from behind the boxes, and Laxus instantly knew who the culprit was. He spotted Loke standing in front of Lucy, protecting her from a potential attack from Jet. Laxus realized that if Loke hadn't shown up when he did, there was no way to know what else would have happened to Lucy. He quickly spun around to face her attacker.

"Are you.. KIDDING ME?!" Laxus roared, heading straight for Jet's barely conscious body," You have three seconds to get up before I make you," he said mercilessly. Before Jet even had time to blink, Laxus was on him.

" Time's up."

Loke didn't need to even ponder why Laxus was so upset. After the reformation of Fairy Tail, Makarov had left to be part of the Magic Council. That left Laxus as the new master of the guild. He was responsible for all of his nakama's livelihoods, and that responsibility included not allowing some lowlife to rape one of his guildmates. Even if that lowlife also happened to be one of his guildmates.

There was nothing Laxus hated more than someone taking advantage of the defenseless. No one in the guild particularly approved of Jet and Lucy's relationship, but no one had the heart to tell her to stay away from him. Laxus, even in his more angst-filled days in the guild, would have been completely opposed to their relationship. Back then, the weak were to be left behind; not raped.

While Laxus verbally and physically destroyed Jet, Loke decided to try to console Lucy.

Loke hadn't spoken to Lucy in months. The vision of her right now was something he hoped he would never see again. Her legs were spread wide, almost as though her mind hadn't registered there was no longer a body between them. Her entire body ached from Jet's attack. The dark, wet spot between her thighs was still completely visible and her humiliation was apparent.

As much as he wanted to slaughter Jet like the impudent swine he was, Lucy took priority. He kneeled down next to her and softly spoke to her," Lucy?"

She merely nodded, but refused to look at him," Is it okay if I touch you?" he asked.

She nodded once more, and he gently rubbed his hand up and down her back. While one hand rubbed circles on her back, the other locked its fingers with one of hers. She squeezed his hand, so he reciprocated. Glancing up at him for a moment, she opened her mouth, but thought better of it then looked away.

Loke decided a change of environment would be necessary," Master, I'm gonna get Lucy out of here," he said.

"Good idea. You're welcome to my office. I'm not nearly done with this Motherfuck," Laxus replied, his magical energy tangible.

Loke rose and Lucy followed him. They exited the room and made a beeline for the Master's office.

* * *

As soon as Loke came to her rescue, Lucy felt safe. He put his arm around her shoulder and guided her to Laxus's office. She should've been nervous; thinking up some sort of excuse to explain what had gone on in there.

But the way she had screamed for Jet to release her told it all.

There was no getting herself out of this one. She couldn't ignore Loke. He was right there, standing in front of her staring her down. Sighing, she lifted herself up slightly to rest on top of Laxus's desk. It would give her a bit of leverage and help with her shaky legs.

Loke studied her for a long time, his facial expression unreadable. He wanted to say the right thing to make her feel better, but he couldn't relate to how she was feeling. All he understood was the overbearing sense of anger he felt because of Jet's attack,"Lucy, if you asked me to kill him I wouldn't say no," was all Loke said once she looked up to meet his gaze.

She looked away and fidgeted nervously atop the desk. Her legs kicked back and forth, and she habituously ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't want Jet to get hurt; hopefully after he healed from Laxus's brutal beating, things would go back to normal.

But even as these naive thoughts formulated, she knew it would be impossible. Loke would not let her near him again. Laxus would undoubtedly see to it that she and Jet never make contact again; he was a really great guild master and everyone knew it. Loyal too.

_"Oh, you want me to get offa you? That's pretty fuckin ironic, Pansy-Ass Bitch!" _

Lucy felt a bit of remorse for yelling so loud and getting the attention of their guild master. She doubted Jet would ever recover from Laxus's brutal beating; both physically and emotionally.

_"Only the lowest of the low put their hands on a woman!"_

"It wasn't as bad as it looked..," she contended pitifully. She pulled a lock of hair into her hand and pretended to find something of interest on it so she wouldn't have to see the look on her friend's face when he responded.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he instantly responded. She shrugged her shoulders as she felt tears coming to her eyes again.

She needed this relationship to work. Or else she'd have no one. She couldn't depend on her spirits to keep her company; they didn't deserve to deal with her neurotic ways. Erza couldn't be held with the heavy task of making sure Lucy was okay at all hours. She had a life. Everyone else at the guild more or less kept their distance since Natsu's death.

_"Taking what was rightfully yours?! And what the __**fuck**__ is that supposed to mean?!"_

It was beginning to feel like she'd never left home. Still trapped in that same loneliness where there were people around but none of them wanted to waste their time on her.

"What would've happened if I hadn't shown up? If Laxus hadn't shown up?" Loke yelled at her, getting right in her face and grasping her shoulders to get her attention.

"It was just a misunderstanding!" she cried, hiding her face in her hands.

"Do not lie to me," he snapped," You know exactly what he was going to do to you! I couldn't live with myself if that repulsive fuck had managed to... to...," he couldn't finish his statement and he clenched his fists in disgust at the mere thought of that vile creature defiling his beautiful princess.

_"If I hear you refer to Lucy or any woman in that manner one more time, I won't be responsible for what becomes of your pathetic being!"_

Frustrated tears were building up in his eyes but he refused to wipe them and hide himself from her. He couldn't help but feel like he was partly to blame. He never came out to see her; he left her all alone and she naturally sought out one of the only people who would look at her.

" I don't want to talk about this anymore," she said before completely closing herself off to him.

Normally he would've pestered her to reconsider, or even raged at her for her blatant lack of regard for her own safety and livelihood; there was just no point today. She wouldn't hear it.

He didn't know how, but he needed to find a way to make her love herself again. He could tell she felt useless. It was apparent from the fact that she wasn't even mad at Jet for trying to rape her. She had no one to talk to except maybe Erza, but he knew even then all Lucy did was tolerate her presence.

What made it worse was the fact that no one really tried to comfort her; everyone she knew and loved kept their distance once Natsu died, and she began to lose her way.

The pathetic thing was, even now, he looked at her and couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was. He was so desperate for her attention it hurt.

She brushed past him and made her way down the stairs, headed for her apartment. Momentarily stunned, he watched her go before sidling up beside her and taking it upon himself to escort her home. No way was he comfortable with her walking the streets by herself in such an emotionally vulnerable state.

The walk was insanely uncomfortable and very silent considering their personalities; both usually so full of life. Today was different. Once she made it to the door, he held out his hand. Taking his message, she handed him the keys. Unlocking the door, he held it open for her so she could enter.

She mumbled a thanks before shuffling inside. He led her to the tiny bed before settling his hands on her shoulders and urging her to lay down. Without a word she complied.

"I know it's not late, but I want you to get some rest," he said authoritatively, whipping up the covers so she could crawl underneath.

All she did in reply was roll over so her back was to him. _Fair enough_, he figured. He knew she was unhappy with him. She was being so passive aggressive and he could tell she was angry. He didn't let it phase him; his unconditional loyalty to her allowed him to brush it off.

"I'll be back later."

He needed to go finish some business with Jet, but there was no point in irritating her further by bringing up the topic.

She very quickly began to fall asleep. Depression and stress can make sleeping one of the easiest and most welcome pastimes in the world; in Lucy's case she wasn't one to complain about sleeping at odd hours as long as she was free of nightmares.

What surprised her, was that even in her state of mind, Loke was able to say something to bring a hint of a smile to her face as she fell asleep. Not one of her big smiles like before Natsu's death, but the corners of her mouth turned up and she felt a small bit of contentment.

_"Princess...Never forget how beautiful you are."_

* * *

After Laxus had beaten Jet to a pulp, he had him permanently removed from Fairy Tail. There was a home for most people in his guild; however rapists were a demographic it was not open to. He called the Rune Knights and they took that foul creature away.

He sat in his chair with his legs resting on his desk; he wasn't sure exactly what to do next. He'd have to pose an explanation as to why one of the most popular members of the guild was kicked out. People would be horrified and disappointed by what had happened.

There was no way to sugarcoat it; Jet had attempted the most vile thing one human could do to another.

There were three short raps at his door and he groaned in irritation before shouting a "come in!" In walked Erza Scarlet in her usual armor and pleated skirt combo. She looked worried and quickly shut the door behind her before sitting in a chair across from him.

"Master, I am worried about Lucy," she spilled, before turning slightly red at being so forward.

Then he had some bad news for her.

"She is becoming more and more withdrawn every day. It seems like there is no use in trying to get through to her. I am concerned that we may lose her. She only reports to the guild every now and again because I made her promise she wouldn't hole herself up in her apartment anymore," she confided. Although she was very composed, he could still tell that she was seriously upset.

"Erza, we've all noticed a change in Lucy. Hell, we've all changed ever since Natsu died. I'm going to need you to be a little more specific so I can see what we're working with here," he finished, deciding telling Erza about the incident he just finished resolving between her and Jet would actually be a terrible idea.

"The past few missions we have taken together have been rather...intense," she offered.

He stared at her for several seconds. When she said nothing further, he rolled his eyes in irritation," Care to elaborate?"

"When we fight enemies, or at least lately, she has become ruthless. Most times she does not need to summon her spirits. She uses her whip so proficiently that she only need lash it a few times against her opponents."

"I'm not seeing how that's an issue."

He tried his hardest not to make her feel like she was wasting his time, but he really just wanted her gone. After the fiasco earlier, he was feeling burnt out. He felt deeply for Lucy and what she had to go through.

"I guess...it's just not like her. She used to take such pride in her spirits. Now she never even looks at her keys. But there was one incident. I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone but...,"

"Out with it, Scarlet. I have things to do, and you're cutting into my time."

Crap, that wasn't very nice. Sometimes he found it hard to brush off his old ways, especially his habit of uninhibitedly speaking his mind.

"This man; he was an enemy of ours on one of our recent missions. I don't recall exactly what he said to her, but it had something to do with her spirits. Something that must have really upset her. I've never seen her so ferocious before. She whipped him so bad that it bordered on torture. I was busy with my own fight, but when I finished and met her, the man was barely alive. The worst part was the look on her face. She didn't care about his suffering. That is NOT the Lucy that I know."

"I see."

That was definitely troubling; he realized why Erza was so concerned. Lucy had become ruthless. The passive, silent girl in the guild was only one side of her that had come out after Natsu died.

"She needs help, Master. Please. Everyone has been so distant towards her and it's not fair. Lucy never got the support she deserved after Natsu's death. Happy has been so cruel to her, and even Levy has not tried to comfort her."

"I take your point, Erza. I'll see what I can do."

She gave him one of her rare smiles," Thank you, Laxus."

"No one in Fairy Tail gets left behind. Now get outta here."

* * *

The reason she woke up was because she couldn't breathe. She was drenched in sweat and she felt fingers closing in on her windpipe and her body was being crushed by one far larger than hers. Her legs kicked out wildly and her hands desperately clawed at the ones around her throat.

She opened her eyes to a pitch black room, but he was still there; on top of her. Trying to kill her.

Unable to ask who it was or to beg him to stop due to her lack of oxygen, she just floundered in an attempt to knock him off. Her keys were nowhere within her reach. But at this point, the force she was pushing back against his hands was the only thing keeping him from snapping her neck.

Even if she had access to her keys, she couldn't risk the use of her hands for even a second.

She realized, besides the fact that she was being strangled to death, that something wasn't right. She was in danger; Loke should be here. He could tell when she needed him and open up his gate. Unless his gate was already open and he was somewhere else; or he was too injured to open his gate or even hear her pleas.

Becoming frustrated with how fierce of a fight she was putting up, the man released her throat and instead pulled back and just nailed her right in the face. Fortunately the cushion of her bed was kind to her and she only sustained damage from the initial hit. Struggling to suck in as much air as possible, Lucy ran her hand over her throat, trying to soothe skin that was soon to birth red marks in a few minutes.

As soon as she caught her breath, the tears fell immediately. There was no reason to try to be inconspicuous. He'd already found her in this little ass apartment, and he was unlikely to lose her any time soon. Her cries echoed over the walls; them being the only sound in her apartment.

What in the actual fuck was going on?

Rolling out of bed, she stumbled around blindly to look for a light switch as well as something to defend herself with. Her heart was pounding so rapidly in her chest that she sincerely thought she'd die. Instincts told her to do everything she could to get this cretin away from her, but the hopelessness within her made her want to curl onto the floor and just protect her vital organs for as long as she could hold out.

And then suddenly she could see.

Part of her wanted to be surprised, but looking back on the day's events, she just couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than disappointment. Well and fear.

Jet was sat on her couch, having turned on the lights for the dramatic reveal. His facial features were crazed, and he did not look pleased to say the least.

"Looking good, Lucy," he smirked, obviously proud of the damage he'd done to her body.

The laugh he released terrified her like nothing she'd ever experienced before. There were times in the past where she was scared off her ass, where the odds seemed exponentially bad, but all those times she'd made it through for her friends. She was an extremely resilient girl; she always fought back against her attackers. But what about now?

She was home alone with her abusive boyfriend, he was obviously trying to kill her, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she was fighting for. She'd already let Natsu slip through her fingers, and no one else at the guild gave her a second look besides Erza and Gray. Even then, no one really made an effort to associate with her.

Lucy couldn't think of a reason not to die. Her body urged her to live but her mind was indifferent and it brought forth more sobs of despair. She was so confused; Was she supposed to live? Did she deserve to? The thought that she wanted to die scared her even further.

But when Jet sat up to pursue her and she instinctively shied away, she made the decision. Maybe she didn't care about her life, and maybe she hated herself, but she would not die on someone else's terms.

"Aw, Lucy. Don't be like that. I should be the one who's upset. Wanna know why?"

As he spoke, he brought himself closer and closer to her. She shook her head no to his question, not wanting to hear his voice," You're scaring me...," she whimpered.

"Well that's too fucking bad, Babe. Maybe you should have thought about that before you betrayed me. Imagine how I feel. I clear all my plans to spend my day with you. Then, not only do you come to the door late, but you don't let me get it in, and you bitch so loud Loke and that bastard Laxus come to your pitiful rescue," he growled angrily, closing the distance between them.

She turned away from him, regaining some sense to search for her keys and hopefully her whip.

"Don't bother looking for your keys, Babe. You won't be finding them anytime soon-"

"What did you do to them, Jet!" she cried.

He rested his hand on her face, gently cupping it," They're nice and safe," _I'm nice and safe_," but you know you really pissed me off. Today made me realize this relationship is going nowhere. And I think we need to break up."

"...Okay..," she nodded, silently thankful for his deduction.

What she didn't expect was to be backhanded, and before she could fall he was back on her. This time his hand was gripping her ponytail, forcing her head back so she'd look up into his eyes. She was so scared, and she knew no one was coming to save her.

"You should be fucking begging me to stay! It's shit like this that makes me hate you so much!"

Absolutely no one knew he was here, and only Laxus and Loke even knew he posed a threat to her. Of them, she doubted either knew he'd ever strike her. Or try to kill her.

Her tears fell faster, and as she looked up at him, her eyes pleading him to leave her be, he laughed in her face. She was filled with a sinking feeling, and she begged him," Please... I'll do anything. Just please don't hurt me, Jet."

"You know what? I like that look on you. All pathetic and crying and bruised. But I don't think I agree with you. I won't leave you alone. What I'm going to do to you, you will _never_ be able to heal from. I'm gonna teach you a lesson no one will ever forget," he finished as he punched her in the stomach. Her hands came up to grip his shoulders to prevent her from falling, and her nails tore into his shirt and drew blood with how tightly she was holding onto him.

_I'm going to die_... was the only thought to cross her mind. His assault on her being only continued, punch after punch. She knew if she stayed just close enough it wouldn't give him room to kick her. And people's kicks always tended to be more powerful than their punches.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, and no one is going to come to save you. You're going to die alone in your apartment. You're going to bleed out just like your worthless teammate, Natsu, did."

After that she fell to the floor, her body in complete and utter pain. What was she supposed to do? His magic was a joke compared to hers, but being a holder type mage, she was a sitting duck without her keys and whip, and his physical strength was on a whole other level than hers.

"You're my property. You belong to me, Little Slut. If you had just spread those hot little legs of yours and let me utilize the one thing you're good for, we'd still be happily in love. All I wanted was to fuck that pretty cunt of yours."

At this point she could barely stand, but in a last ditch effort, she shot forward and tackled him to the ground, arms wrapped around his torso to make sure he couldn't balance himself out at the last second.

She couldn't believe it worked. She was on top of her captor and it kind of seemed like she had the advantage, although she was so dizzy and nauseous that she wasn't really sure what to do with herself now that she had him like this.

The only thing she knew was that she couldn't let things end this way. Whatever happened, she refused to die today.

* * *

R&amp;R please.


	3. Chapter 3

_As Loke made his way back to Lucy's apartment, he considered the worrisome news he'd received from Laxus. Apparently after he sent Jet away, three Rune Knights were found dead in various back alleys of Magnolia. As of yet, there was no real proof linking Jet to the murders; but it was undeniable that he was nowhere to be found when the bodies were discovered._

_Loke needed to get back to Lucy to make sure she was okay. There was no telling what that man was willing to do to her. That thought ignited a deep worry within him and he picked up the pace, sprinting with everything he had to get back to her in time. Thinking of Lucy crying in the storage room earlier that day had him especially paranoid._

_He wasn't sure if Jet had it in him to murder another person, but there was definitely something off about him. The way he tried to defend himself after being caught assaulting Lucy was bizarre to him. It seemed as though Jet didn't find anything wrong with what he'd done to her._

_In fact, the way Lucy had defended him afterwards didn't sit well with him. She didn't seem shocked at all by the way he treated her. He only read fear from her. Almost like what happened back there had happened before. Or at the very least, she was used to him doing things to her that she didn't like._

_Now that thought really had him freaked out, and he continued his desperate sprint to her home._

_After making it to her street, he saw something shine off of the light from the setting sun. As he slowed down to a leisurely walk, he realized they were keys; Lucy's keys. Something definitely wasn't right. And he prayed Jet had nothing to do with it, because he feared Lucy would just sit back and take it._

_Analyzing the situation, he came to two conclusions as to why her keys would be out on the street. Either she was having another meltdown, or someone didn't want her to be able to protect herself. Regardless of the scenario, he needed to find her. _

_The streets were completely empty, so he hadn't a single suspect at the moment. He forced himself to calm down and think rationally about the situation. For all he knew, Lucy could be perfectly safe and her keys were on the ground for a far less urgent reason. _

_Picking up her keys, he placed them within the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket. He'd need to keep an eye open, but not freak out. Panicking wouldn't solve anything._

_As he approached Lucy's door, he got a very bad feeling. Turning the key in the lock, he opened it only to be greeted with an immediate searing pain in his chest. Looking down, he witnessed a fatal stab wound. Well that wasn't good. As he started to fade back to the spirit world, he caught a glimpse of his attacker. It was exactly who he hoped he wouldn't find on the other side of the door. Jet tore the blade from Loke's chest before tossing it behind him to the floor. Then Loke disappeared from Earthland completely._

* * *

_Jet quickly shut the door and locked it before letting out a loud sigh of irritation. He felt completely enraged by the fact that her lion spirit had dared to jump into his business with Lucy. Things had been going smoothly up until the minute that Leo had decided to get involved._

_First he gets kicked out of the guild, then he gets arrested. Well he didn't need a guild full of people who didn't understand his plight. None of them cared about how he felt when Levy had rejected him time after time. Most even found it funny, and it became an ongoing joke that he and Droy be humiliated time after time by that woman._

_When Natsu dated Lucy over Lisanna, everyone had been terribly sympathetic, offering her their comfort and shoulders to cry on. But when it came to Levy turning him down, it was just another thing to laugh about. Well he didn't find it very fucking funny. He could only take so much._

_As he sat around preparing for what he was about to do to Lucy, his thoughts wandered further, he started to think about his festering resentment towards her. She just had everything her way. Everyone knew she was adorable, even him. Most guys were willing to date her and she was so nice to everyone. He couldn't help the boiling jealousy in his veins. He felt like he'd always been nice. He was loyal to the guild. Yet she seemed to get everything her way. No one could say no to Lucy._

_Then when Natsu died, he realized it was time. If he couldn't have what she had, he'd take away what she had. Suddenly, Jet noticed he was getting too wrapped up in his thoughts. He shook himself back into reality and headed to Lucy's resting body._

_ It was time to wake up the princess._

* * *

As she lay on top of him, her body tightly wrapped around his, she could think of very little to do to fight back. Her most viable option would be to try to strangle him, but she hated the thought of doing to him what he tried to do to her. Her neck was raw from his hands, and her conscience pushed back against her, urging her to think of another way to save herself.

Her hands twitched, showing her indecision of whether or not to fight back. At this point it was clear that he had no intention of letting her survive. He wildly bucked underneath her and beat against her back, angry at her for not backing down.

"I didn't want to have to do this. But you leave me no choice. Lucy, I'm gonna fucking kill you, and no one is gonna miss you. I will make sure that once you're gone, everyone hates you as much as I do. You ugly, worthless, little slut!" he screamed at her.

She didn't know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't being flipped onto her back, or the sharp achy sensation in her stomach that came after," You always thought you were so perfect, running around like every man on this planet needed to bow down to you. Well not this time. Look at you now," he grinned viciously.

Her arms instinctively wrapped around his hand that had struck her, but he wasn't moving for anything. Then he pulled back and struck her again.

He was so excited. He'd wanted her like this for weeks, but time and time again he'd decided that she hadn't suffered enough. Seeing her cry was so addicting; he couldn't be sated. She would finally be dominated in every sense of the word. This was his win.

Her adrenaline was flowing so rapidly that it was almost as though her body was on autopilot. Her hands wrapped around his throat and she squeezed as hard as she could. The snap of his neck seemed to vibrate from his skin to her hands, and all the way through her body.

It happened so fast that even he didn't realize he was being killed. The tiny but nimble fingers around his neck gave him an instantaneous warning of what was to come. Then there was nothing, and he was permanently still.

Once her body sensed that she was out of danger, her mind began to process what she'd done. There was a dead man lying on top of her. A man who had just tried to kill her. She felt guilty, but more than anything, her lower abdomen really hurt. The pain was far more intense than any of the previous times he'd hit her.

She crawled out from under his body and settled into a kneeling position. Gently, she pressed her hands to her stomach but felt warm, thick fluid between her fingers. When she brought them up to her line of sight they came up red. Blood. She was bleeding. He didn't punch her; he stabbed her. Twice. In the lower abdomen. The wounds weren't fatal in and of themselves, but she'd surely bleed to death if they went untreated.

When the reality of the situation hit her, she let out a panicked whimper, pressing her palms against her abdomen to try to stave off some of the bleeding. What was she supposed to do? There was absolutely no way to heal these wounds without getting others involved. There was a dead body on her floor. But she didn't want to die. She didn't even want to kill him, but he tried to kill her first.

And her wounds really, really hurt. As her adrenaline receded, the pain became more prominent, and she collapsed on the floor, curling into a ball in some form of self preservation. Her agonized cries were soon to follow. Her long hair clung to the sweat on her face, neck, and shoulders, her tears only adding to the mix. She was so scared.

Desperate to survive, she slowly inched her way to her bathroom. There was no way for her to completely shut her wounds, but she could at least clean and dress them. She tried not to think about Jet's corpse on her floor, knife still in hand.

As she pulled herself across the floor, she heard the ever familiar sound of a spirit bridging through to the human world. She had no clue where her keys were, but at this point she was happy to have someone, anyone, save her. Though she was pretty sure she knew who this was.

* * *

Loke waited the absolute minimum amount of time it would take before he could safely open his gate to Earthland. His chest still ached a little, but his top priority was making sure Lucy was okay. He couldn't stand the thought of her being injured in his absence. If he had just been faster.. But that wasn't important now. His only worry needed to be Lucy's current condition.

He materialized to his absolute worst nightmare. There was so much blood, and he knew it was hers. He saw Jet's lifeless body, the only cut being on his hand where it gripped the blade of a knife. Blood was sticky, it wasn't uncommon for attackers to lose their grip and accidentally cut themselves after the initial stab wound was created on the victim.

Next he saw the trail of blood that originated from a small pool in front of her coffee table. His eyes followed it to where she lay, her knuckles white as she tried to pull herself up, but her abdominal muscles screamed at her to lay motionless. Her pained cries were clearly audible in the otherwise quiet room, and she was drenched in sweat.

She looked so tiny as she struggled to save herself. Having gathered everything he needed to know, he reacted immediately," Lucy!" he cried out, running to her side.

As he got closer, he saw her blood seeping from under her t-shirt. Without a second thought, he raised her shirt to inspect the wound. He had to tamp down the urge to vomit; the bastard had stabbed her multiple times, and she was bleeding out.

"Oh god, Lucy. What do I do?" he asked frantically," Let me go get Virgo-"

"NO!" she screamed, grabbing his wrists with everything she had, refusing him the ability to stand up. He stared down at her in alarm, and she just shook even harder," Don't leave me! Don't leave my sight for even one second. I don't want to be alone," she cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

Remembering that he in fact had her keys, he gently removed her hands from his wrists, reaching into his suit jacket pocket and retrieved them. She raised her hands palm up and as he handed them to her, her face lit up considerably.

The only issue now was that she felt really tired, almost instantaneously. Her arms fell to her sides and she dropped the gate keys on the floor. Every few seconds her head would lull to the side before she'd straighten up slightly.

"Princess, I know you're in a lot of pain, but you have to call out Virgo. She can help you," he urged her softly, resting his hands on her shoulders. She shook her head no, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest. Her blinks became more drawn out, and he knew she was probably about to pass out.

"Lucy, wake up right now!" he panicked, holding her face in his hands, trying to startle her awake," Come on, summon Virgo and then you can rest!"

She groaned in both pain and exhaustion before sorting out Virgo's key and mumbling some form of her usual summoning chant. A bright light flashed briefly before Virgo appeared with bandages and sterilizing supplies.

"Princess, let me dress your wounds," Virgo said monotonously, doing her best to stay calm in the face of such a terrifying situation," Big Brother, you may relax. I will take care of her wounds."

He nodded, releasing Lucy. However, he still held her hand tightly; anything to assure himself that she was still alive.

* * *

The next day, Lucy awoke in her bed in new clean clothing. Her lower abdomen ached considerably, but she couldn't bring herself to feel surprised by it. She had been stabbed by her boyfriend. Virgo had decided to place her in a plain white t-shirt and black and white plaid pajama bottoms. Usually, she'd give her clothing which was quite revealing, but today was different.

She couldn't really remember what happened after Virgo had arrived. Loke told her she could rest, so she did. She did vaguely remember the voices of her spirits as they tried to save her, but it sounded like she was underwater and they were ashore, so their panic was the only thing that registered in her mind.

Lucy sort of wondered what happened to Jet: if he survived or where he was, but at the same time knew that he didn't deserve her sympathy. He tried to kill her because she wasn't perfect enough.

She turned her head to see Loke sitting in a chair right next to her bed. Her hand was gripped tightly between his, and he had eyes for her alone.

"Good morning, Princess," he greeted flatly.

Honestly, all he wanted to do was cry. Her near death scared him in a way he'd never felt before. He felt so guilty for not seeing the signs of her abusive relationship soon enough. In hindsight, it all made too much sense. The way she had defended him as though her life depended on it; her life did depend on it.

She gave his hand a light squeeze but didn't offer him any response otherwise.

"You realize we'll eventually have to talk about it," he said, refusing to look at her. Her seeming indifference to the situation really hurt him. He cared about her so much, but she didn't seem to be terribly concerned about her safety. And rather than reply, she gave him a quizzical glance.

"He hurt you, Lucy. Long before last night. He regularly hit you, didn't he?" he questioned her. His voice was already shaking. The thought of the much bigger man physically dominating her chilled him to the bone.

"I was lonely," was her short reply. After that, she remained flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling of her little apartment. She didn't know what to feel; she was just tired. Tired of everything.

He tried to imagine what happened behind closed doors. He tried to picture the way Jet probably talked to her; like she was an animal that needed to be punished. No one knew what she had gone through or the pain she was suffering. While everyone felt uncomfortable being around her, she felt uncomfortable _being_ her.

Lucy deserved to be understood. She deserved his empathy, and in that moment he promised himself he wouldn't leave her alone ever again. His friend wasn't the same as she was before, but he had every intention of mending her soul one instant at a time.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. Please forgive me. If I had known... I thought you didn't want me around anymore. But I promise I won't let you be lonely ever again," he said quietly.

She still hadn't let go of his hand, and she let his words sink in. Loke would be by her side. No matter what this time. He abruptly rose to his feet and reached over her body to take both her hands in his.

"I'll do everything I can to make you happy again," he began, pleading her to look at him, but she remained unmoving. He sighed, but continued his proposal; he owed her everything he had, and that was exactly what he'd offer," So please, will you allow me to be your knight in shining armor once more?"

Turning her head away, she felt her face flush in embarrassment. He was so sweet; one of the only people willing to look at her. She needed a friend now more than ever, and she trusted him with her life. She didn't know how much she valued her life now that Jet was gone; she didn't know who she was anymore, but she'd humor Loke. Just this once.

"I...guess so."

He was filled with joy the instant she gave in. A stupid grin covered his entire face as he gazed down at her," You won't regret it, I swear it!"

A miniscule blush covered her cheeks as she even still refused to look at him," I know. I trust you," she whispered.

He had one final thing to say to her before he let her get some more sleep. She seemed to be in a decent enough mood, but he didn't want to push the envelope. But then again, it was something she deserved to hear every day for the rest of her life.

"Lucy?" he started. His sudden utterance of her name caused her to reflexively turn and look him dead in the eye.

"Loke?" she questioned softly. Whatever he needed, it seemed to be important. She caught the determination in his face from the tense jaw to his narrowed eyes.

"You're beautiful. Always. Never forget it."

* * *

R &amp; R please


	4. Chapter 4

Two weeks had passed since Jet's death, and Lucy refused to leave her apartment. Although she dearly appreciated Loke's company, she felt frustrated by his persistence. Most days she wouldn't even leave her bed, but he still tried to encourage her to get up and out.

Lucy was in such a dark place that it hurt. Every time she woke up was just another disappointment. She dreamed of the days when Natsu was still alive, or when Jet treated her like a queen. Waking up to the reality that she was responsible for both their deaths was something she was incapable of coping with.

The level of helplessness she felt was nearly sickening. Thinking about all the things she couldn't change turned her stomach, and she barely ate.

Loke was beside himself with worry, but he refused to lose his patience with her. People didn't just bounce back from things like this in real life. It took time, effort, and a lot of support. He was the only real support she had right now, and he'd be there with her encouraging her every day.

Today was another awful day for her. She again refused to get out of bed, and he knew it was time for her to get up on her feet and go somewhere, even if just for a walk down the street.

"Lucy, please. You need to get up," he begged her, straightening out his suit and approaching the bed.

But she wasn't having it; she was completely under her covers, curled up in a ball with her back to him. After several seconds, he sighed in frustration and left the room.

Lucy let a satisfied sigh escape her mouth, happy to be left to sleep away her sorrows. At least when she was asleep things were different. Being asleep had become much preferred to being awake anymore. She was sure he hated how all she wanted to do was lie in bed all day, but she couldn't help it. The thought of being surrounded by people was too much to handle.

She cringed at the thought of seeing the people she knew at the guild. Although it hurt to know she was the topic of discussion, she much preferred they do it behind her back so she could remain ignorant. No doubt they'd been talking about her, even more so now since she'd offed yet another member. Even though she'd killed Jet in self defense, it changed nothing. She was a murderer. Another human being was dead because of her.

Another issue was her discomfort in her own skin. How was she to go out in public when she couldn't stand who she was? Everything about herself from her hair to her face to her body left her with disappointment. Her hair was so straight and lifeless, and if she dyed it or styled it differently, she'd always know the truth; the way she was born simply wasn't good enough. And she still had that stupid baby face after all these years. Some things never changed. Her chest was so large, and it only made her look like an easy tramp. There was nothing she could do about it, and it hurt. Jet had told her enough times that how no matter the amount of effort she put into her appearance, she'd only be ugly. _You can put makeup on a pig; it's still a pig_.

Lucy didn't see the point in torturing herself by going out where everyone would see her flaws and know what a lowlife she was. Each day she stayed away, the harder the thought of integrating into society had become. With Loke in her apartment, protecting her, she felt safe. She didn't need anyone else; she could just hideaway all day and he'd make sure no one would come take her.

Lucy's sigh of relief was for not, though, because Loke returned soon after. She jerked the covers off of herself, fully intent on teaching him a lesson, but then she noticed his appearance. Shorter hair, light blue shades, orange t-shirt, and jeans. She hadn't seen his human form in ages, and it did something to her. It reminded her of innocence and happiness; the way she'd been when they first crossed paths at the guild all those years ago. He was an uncontrollable flirt, and she was a bubbly, vain, beauty. Now she didn't really know who she was.

She sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest, staring at him expectantly out of the corner of her eye. Her long t-shirt bunched up at her thighs, but neither of them paid any attention to it. He sat on the bed and crossed his legs, positioned so he was facing her. Removing his sunglasses, he placed them gently on the top of her head, fixing the legs behind her ears.

"Let's get up today, okay Princess?" he suggested gently.

Lucy bit her lip and frowned, looking down at the bed," But I don't want to...," she whimpered.

He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it reassuringly, letting her know he was with her. Getting up would be a big step for her. She deserved all the encouragement he could give, and he really wanted her to get some fresh air. Being cramped up in a small apartment under the covers for days on end would only worsen her depressed state.

"I know..," he shrugged sadly," I won't make you get up today. I just thought we could maybe call out Plue and go for a walk."

She clenched her free fist into the sheets, considering his offer. Maybe it was time to get out for a bit. It went without saying that the idea wasn't the most appealing, but he was trying really hard for her and she knew it. She struggled between the idea of staying in or going out. Inside was safer, but she wasn't happy inside. Outside was intimidating, but Loke would take care of her.

"Maybe," she hesitated," maybe we can go outside. But only for a little bit, Loke!" After the words left her mouth, she was filled with regret. But something about saying it aloud made it nearly impossible, in her mind, for her to go back on it.

And then he threw himself on top of her, filled with pure excitement, and hugged her tightly. Overwhelmed, she set her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to relieve the pressure on her lower abdomen. He noticed the way she sharply inhaled, and he let up on his affection filled assault. He sat up, although effectively sitting on her lap, and held her by the waist. She was completely flustered and looking up at him with wide eyes and pinkened cheeks.

"Sorry, Princess," he apologized, flattening the hair on the back of her head before returning his hand to her waist," I'm just really happy. I'll make you breakfast then we can head out. How does that sound?" he offered.

Quite embarrassed, she nodded before looking away from him. Again with that. Well that would just be something he'd have to work on with her. He wanted her to react the way she used to; relentlessly demanding he unhand her and yelling at him for overreacting. The way she silently accepted his theatrics was eerie to him. When he finally realized that the reason she was reacting so strangely was due in part to the fact that he was on top of her, he slid off so he was once more sitting next to her on the bed. He found his face turning a little red in embarrassment as well and he looked away. Hopefully she didn't think he was trying to do anything inappropriate with her now of all times.

"I'm going to leave so you can get changed," he said as he finally rose to leave. The best way to alleviate the situation would be to leave and give her a few minutes to herself.

"Ok," she replied, waiting for him to move so she'd be allowed some privacy.

"Unless you wanted me to stick around?" he teased; it wouldn't hurt to add a little humor would it?

"Beat it."

* * *

Levy was beside herself in horror when she found out about Jet's death. He was a part of the invaluable Team Shadowgear, and now that he was gone, all she could really do was cry. Members of Fairy Tail weren't supposed to die, yet it seemed that everyone who touched Lucy did just that. Something wasn't right here, and she refused to believe Lucy was as innocent as Master had led her to believe.

Currently she was sitting in the guild next to Gajeel. He didn't appear to really care about Jet's death, and that was seriously grinding her gears. One of her best friends. Dead! And he was apathetic towards the entire situation. The obnoxious crunch of metal was nearly deafening, and really only frustrated her further. A bowl of steel scraps sat in front of him, and he was calmly devouring them at a relaxed pace. Gajeel was as serene as someone of his temperament could be.

Gajeel could tell she was upset, but he didn't really know what to do. It was obvious that she missed her friend, but there was nothing anyone could really do about it. She spent a large portion of the first few days crying once his death was announced. He had let her cry on his shoulder multiple times, but he could see her countenance growing darker and darker each day. There was something sinister stirring within her.

He was aware of her steadily growing resentment for Lucy. After Natsu died and while Lucy refused to leave her apartment, Jet had been busy at the guild spreading rumors about her. He told Levy about how he'd go visit Lucy and she'd say she was pleased that Natsu was gone because he was a bad boyfriend. Although Gajeel doubted what Jet had said was true, he reminded himself it was none of his business. But the way things were now, he had no reason to believe Jet's lies.

On the other hand, Levy still had complete faith in him. Jet's original reasoning for dating Lucy was that he intended to help her, to steer her away from the "dark path" she was headed on. He wanted to keep others safe from her, so he would monitor her to make sure she didn't ensnare someone else the way she had Natsu. Even though it was completely obvious to everyone that Jet had intruded into her home with the intent to murder her, Levy couldn't believe it. After all, she had known him for such a long time; it was impossible to believe that he would try to kill one of their own.

"Gajeel?" she questioned. He gave an irritated huff and halted his eating to give her his full attention.

"Yeah what is it?" he groaned.

She rolled her eyes; she knew he hated it when people interrupted him while he was eating, but she was more concerned with her own feelings at the moment. She was sure he'd get over it," Don't you think it's weird how Lucy is avoiding the guild when she's supposedly the victim?" she hinted.

Gajeel didn't like where this was headed. Although he didn't necessarily know the details of the situation between Lucy and Jet, something didn't add up. A guy doesn't go from trying to protect the guild to breaking and entering a woman's house with the intent to murder. Something told him Jet regularly treated Lucy unkindly. And he just couldn't believe that she was happy about Natsu's death. No one was.

"What're ya gettin at, Shrimp?" he asked, choosing his words carefully. He wasn't trying to upset her outright, but he didn't want to give her the impression that he agreed with her thinking.

Somehow oblivious to his tentativity towards the conversation, she pressed on," I'm just saying, every guy Lu dates ends up dying, and right after she's nowhere to be found. I think it's a little suspicious," she noted. Gajeel looked away from her, unwilling to agree with what she was saying. Before he could think of the words to respond, she was back at it," She's not as innocent as she acts. That's all I'm trying to say!" she snapped.

"I don't think ya got the whole story," he offered stubbornly.

Liquid rage filled her and she shot up in her seat," You're seriously taking her side?! I thought you were more loyal than that, Gajeel," she threw out.

It was just as well; Lucy had her talons sunk in to every man here. Levy wasn't blind; Lucy was extremely cute. She had massive tits, and Levy was clearly lacking in that asset. But she expected Gajeel of all people to see past her facade. For a while now she'd felt as though Lucy's looks helped take the blame off of her, first with Natsu's death and now with Jet's. She just couldn't believe that even Gajeel was falling for it.

"That's not what this is about at all, and you know it!" he yelled, standing up to tower over her.

But she was too angry for his intimidation tactics to work on her. She was jealous, and she was furious.

"So all you have to do around here to get away with murder is have big knockers? I get it now," she bit out angrily before exiting the guild in a rush. Gajeel just stared after her, tempted to follow. He cared about her a lot and didn't want her to do something foolish in her rage, but he also acknowledged the fact that she might need time to cool down.

In a blind rage, Levy's feet took her far across town. She was so angry that there weren't even thoughts racing in her mind. She was just violently mad, and ready to take down the first threat in her path. It was around the afternoon, but a week day, so the streets weren't terribly crowded. That was probably for the best because she didn't trust herself not to run down anyone in her path.

Running down a long set of steps, she wound up in South Gate Park, in the heart of Magnolia; maybe her subconscious told her that the greenery would have a soothing effect on her mood. Unlikely. However, it was quite beautiful. A large tree marked the center of the park, and the grass was a healthy, bright green. The sun wasn't at its highest point, so the temperature was warm, but not too hot. No breeze could be felt.

Slowing down, she saw someone sitting on a picnic bench. Long hair was pulled into a high side ponytail, and she was resting with her hands neatly in her lap. The woman was wearing a white, lacy sundress with a sweetheart neckline and white, thigh high socks with black close-toed sandals. What appeared to be a weird, white dog was sitting on the bench next to her, and she was looking into the distance as though waiting for someone. It was Lucy.

Levy's rage instantly came back tenfold. How dare she skip out on facing the family she betrayed? And yet, she was in the park enjoying the weather like she wasn't a murderer. Probably waiting for the man who was to be her next victim. She couldn't believe Lucy was a free woman. Combine that with the fact that Gajeel was totally taking the tramp's side, and Levy was completely livid.

Lucy didn't seem to notice her, which was for the best, because Levy was about to go in swinging. Balling her hands into fists, she approached the blonde with a very strong stride. Her footfall first caught the attention of Plue, who looked up from his perch on the bench. He let out a coo before backing away, sensing the tension in the short girl's form. Next, Lucy looked up, taking notice of Levy. She looked surprised, but her face lifted slightly, happy to see her old friend.

The next thing she knew, her head was jarred to the side. She'd just been punched in the face by her friend, Levy. Utterly shocked, she cradled her cheek with one hand while Plue dashed off to find her comrade. Pure misery was written on her face as she stared into her friend's eyes, looking utterly betrayed.

* * *

Okie dokie; S it's been a while. Sorry about that. Now that the semester ended I'll be having more time to update. Let me know what you thought.

Also wanted to let everyone know that I'm now an active beta reader, so if anyone was needing that, send me a message or something like that.

As usual R &amp; R.


	5. Chapter 5

After Lucy finished getting dressed, she approached the small, square shaped table near her bed to greet Loke, who was sitting and patiently waiting for her. She wore a white, loose fitting sundress. It stopped mid thigh and was short sleeved with a sweetheart neckline. Her thigh high socks started about 2 inches after the dress stopped, and her closed toed sandals topped off her outfit perfectly.

She felt really self conscious, especially with the state Jet had left her in. She was already regretting agreeing to going out with Loke that day. Her body was shaking with anxious energy as she stood before him, completely emotionally exposed. And to Loke, she was the most adorable thing he'd seen all day. Her long hair was beautiful, and the dress complimented her very well. But after one look at her, he realized how nervous she appeared to be. After taking a step closer, he realized she was terrified.

"Princess, you look beautiful," he complimented her warmly. The way he said it was so sincere that she half believed him," And I know you're scared, but we will get through the day. If you find yourself needing to use my body for comfort, I suppose I can manage," he said dramatically, attempting to play coy.

"That won't be necessary," she snapped at him, rolling her eyes as she took a seat across from him.

"You wound me!" he howled theatrically, and she found herself appreciating his foolish antics even if she didn't outwardly show it.

"I thought I was getting breakfast. Some kind of knight you are," she brooded, crossing her arms and scowling at him.

"O-of course you are, Princess! Right this way," he scrambled to reply, momentarily leaving for the kitchen to fetch her meal.

He presented her with his homemade cooking: eggs, bacon, and toast. Although not terribly impressed, Lucy was still grateful for his attempts to help her out of her funk. Although even she knew now that this wasn't just a funk, but that wasn't something she really wanted to dwell on. As she sat and ate, he walked around her kitchen, cleaning the appliances and dishes he'd used. She began to feel discouraged once he was in a different room. What was she thinking? Going out in public was such a bad idea. There was no way she could handle it. Even now she felt like tearing up; she would only humiliate herself once in public.

As these negative thoughts continued to grow in her mind, she began to shake slightly, trying to hold back tears. This was awful; Loke would be so disappointed in her for changing her mind and digressing. She needed immediate reassurance, so without thinking twice about it, she called out for him," Loke!"

She heard him set down whatever he had been cleaning, and he appeared in the hallway outside of the kitchen," You called for me?"

Looking at him, she felt silly for calling him over. But his cheerful disposition made her feel like maybe she could handle today, because he would make sure of it. She was on the verge of having a meltdown, and she wanted him close every second. She couldn't be left alone with her negative thoughts.

She felt embarrassed at needing someone so close and with such urgency, and her first instinct was to say never mind in order to be less needy. Looking away, she remained conflicted as to whether or not she should ask Loke to stay with her.

"Lucy, did you need something?" he asked her tentatively, quite confused by her current attitude. It seemed she was worried about something, but he couldn't read her mind, so he didn't know what to do.

To be honest, he didn't feel comfortable with leaving her alone after what had happened with Jet. He firmly believed that he could prevent any and all injury to Lucy if he was there all the time. Like 24 / 7 all the time. His guilt was overwhelming, so he hated to let Lucy alone to herself.

"Could you sit with me?" she asked him quietly," For just a little bit. And quit looking at me like that, there's no special meaning behind this," she added on hastily, looking away from him while he was filled with excitement at the idea of being invited to breakfast with Lucy. If she wanted to spend every minute of her day with him, he'd gladly fulfill her wish.

Sitting down across from her once more, he reveled in the attention he was receiving from Lucy. Although she was silently eating for the most part, the fact remained that she had requested his presence. Even just that let him know she valued their time together. So while she ate, he sat silently beaming at her cute little face.

As Lucy ate, Loke's staring was becoming too much for her. Why was he watching her so intently? Was there something on her face? He looked awfully smug, and she didn't know if she liked that very much. She began to feel irked with him for watching her this way; at the same time, however, she felt appreciative of his company.

Lucy was so deep in thought that she didn't realize she'd stopped eating altogether and begun to stare at the table intently. For her the silence between them wasn't terribly awkward because she was so lost inside of her own head.

"Are you finished, Princess?" he asked, catching her attention.

"Yeah, I guess so... Let's get this over with," she replied quietly.

Although he was concerned by her very small appetite, he had to keep running with her willingness to cooperate and leave her home. He could focus on getting her to eat more later on; possibly while they were out, he could convince her to eat something. For now, he decided he would ensure that she got out and about for the day.

"That's the spirit!" he exclaimed, rising to set the dishes in the sink. She followed behind tentatively, still unsure if she was ready to go out yet.

* * *

His idea to go to the park was simple enough. It wasn't very crowded, so neither of them would have to worry about Lucy having a nervous breakdown. The lack of noise also allowed her to walk with Loke peacefully without being interrupted.

As they headed for the door, Loke valiantly offered Lucy his arm, to which she merely stared at before walking past him and out of the door. Sighing in defeat, he followed and came to walk beside her as they silently made their way to the park. He desperately wanted her to feel better, so much that it hurt, but she was so trapped within herself.

He'd never seen her so hesitant before, and he could tell that she was worried that someone she knew might show up and see her like this. Lucy seemed so ashamed of who she was now, and nothing he said had a chance of changing her mind. At this point, he'd simply decided to resort to showing her how special she was to him. If anyone on this planet still had faith in her, it was him. And there was no way he was going to let her become so absorbed in her depression that she lost touch with all reality.

So much had happened, and yet they hadn't begun to breach the issue of Natsu's death. Even he didn't know the exact details of his death. The only ones who did were Erza and Laxus, and no one dared to pry information from them. Laxus only knew due to his status as guild master, or else Loke was almost sure she never would have told him what had happened. Erza, on the other hand, was the only person Lucy had officially confided in, but it seemed Lucy became distant to even her after getting together with Jet.

The abundance of trees alerted them that they'd arrived at the park. Loke's hope was that the environment would still be soothing enough for her to feel at ease.

As they walked through the park, her sour mood was nearly tangible, and he desperately brain stormed ideas to try to lighten the mood," Hey Princess, it's a little warm out. Want a snow cone?" That was a lie, it was quite nice out, but he was hoping a small treat would be able to cheer her up a little bit. About a block ahead, there was a vender selling snow cones for a reasonable price, so he figured he'd give it a shot.

To his surprise, she seemed to be okay with it. " Sure," she agreed. In truth, she didn't want one all too much, but she didn't want to argue about it or see the disappointed look on his face if she declined. She stopped walking as she came to a park bench before sitting down on it, looking up at her companion. Lucy already felt bad enough that she was becoming irritated with Loke; she didn't know why. Her sour mood was just rubbing off on her personality, and she was ashamed of the fact that she'd been so snappy towards him all day. Maybe if he went away for a few minutes, she could calm down and try to be a little nicer.

"It's on me!" he said with a grin.

"Obviously," she replied, using a hand to block the sunlight from her eyes," I'll wait here."

Loke wasn't too sure about leaving her behind, but he supposed since she was going along with what he wanted today, he'd reward her by trusting her to sit and wait for him. With the way things were going now, he could tell she needed some space, so he decided to compromise.

"If you summon Plue to sit with you, I'll let you wait here. Final offer," Loke told her, bending over slightly to rest a hand on her shoulder.

He could tell that her initial reaction was irritation, but she slowly nodded in agreement before summoning Plue and setting him next to her on the bench. Once the two of them were situated, Loke felt comfortable with letting her sit and wait without him; Plue would be able to keep her company. He wasn't necessarily sure what he was afraid would happen if she was alone for too long, but his gut instinct told him that she shouldn't be alone at all in her current state.

* * *

After he left to go buy her a snow cone, Lucy sighed as she waited for him with Plue. Placing her hands in her lap, her mind started to drift once more. Right now, she was feeling guilty for being so unpleasant towards Loke. She turned her head towards the direction he'd just left in. There was a small line at the snow cone stand, so he'd probably be a few minutes longer.

Lucy's mind continued to wander further. Since there weren't very many people around, she didn't feel as nervous as she'd anticipated. Instead she found herself thinking about Jet. She missed him, and she was ashamed of that fact. Although she hadn't had an open conversation with anyone about his abuse towards her, looking back on it, she now knew without a doubt that what he'd done and said to her was wrong. Even if she didn't think she could do much better, some days he'd just been so rough on her. But she still missed the few times when he'd been gentle and kind.

Lucy then immediately thought of Natsu, who had always been kind and gentle to her, even if he'd been a lousy boyfriend. Her thoughts of him didn't last very long, because the next thing she knew Levy was there, and she felt a weak but clearly intentioned blow make contact with her cheek. She'd barely had time to process the presence of the girl, let alone prepare to block the attack.

"I can't believe that Natsu wasn't enough; that you'd kill Jet, too! Murderer!" Levy accused, pointing a finger straight at her.

Once she became aware of the full situation, she didn't know how to comprehend what was just done to her. Obviously she'd noticed the guild becoming distant towards her, but no one had ever said or done anything to outwardly prove their distaste towards her. Levy's anger towards her, however, was loud and clear.

Lucy's shock and hurt was easy to see on her face, and she crossed her arms around herself to try to stop herself from shaking. She could hear footsteps in the background, but she didn't know whose they were; she was more concerned with the imminent threat towards her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she noticed that it was getting more difficult to breathe.

Lifting a hand to her chest, Lucy placed a hand over her heart and gasped for breath helplessly. She'd never experienced anything like this before, but she felt she was dying and had no control over her own body. She heard two people approach and while one gravitated towards Levy, the other stayed near her, using his body as a physical barrier between the two girls.

Gajeel knew he should've just followed Levy immediately. Angry people could do some pretty terrible things in the heat of the moment. Looking at Lucy right now, he could immediately tell she was no murderer, and he felt horrible: first for ever doubting her for even a second, and secondly for not standing up for her whenever there was childish gossip going around the guild, typically perpetuated by Jet in the past.

"Goddamnit Levy, I should've known you'd do something like this," Gajeel said, crossing his arms. He stood in front of Lucy, who was being consoled by Loke on the picnic bench. He sat next to her before brushing her bangs away from her forehead, holding her face in his hands and whispering reassuringly that she was safe, and that he most certainly knew she was not a murderer. It was clear she was panicking, and Gajeel figured physical reassurance that Lucy was safe from Levy would be helpful in calming her down.

"What the hell, Gajeel? Don't defend her-"

"Quit yer yappin' and take a look at your so called best friend," he said with a scowl.

Once Levy complied with Gajeel, she realized Lucy really was a pitiful sight to see. Now that she thought about it, she hardly recognized the young girl who was caved in on herself, and at this point sobbing uncontrollably. She watched how Loke embraced her, and Lucy would try to resist and turn away from him in shame. All this because of a self admittedly weak blow to the face... Such a strong reaction didn't seem appropriate to her, but she could tell that Lucy wasn't acting.

An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach once she realized she'd possibly done something that had been unnecessarily cruel, all for the purpose of avenging a teammate when all evidence pointed towards him being abusive in almost every way. Evidence also pointed towards Jet having been the aggressor, which meant he'd broken, entered, and tried to kill Lucy. And this entire time Levy had been sitting around skeptical of Lucy's innocence. Having to witness Lucy looking so depressed and weighed down made Levy's accusations look childish, and she knew it now.

"Seems you've been a shitty friend, huh? Well, looks like ya got a lot to make up for. But now ain't the time. You'd better head out. I'm gonna have a quick word with Lucy and the pretty boy here before I leave, myself," Gajeel said, clapping his hand on her shoulder before turning to Loke and Lucy.

Levy didn't want to go yet, but she didn't really have the right to complain in this situation. She'd wronged Lucy, so now she deserved to sit and reflect on what she'd done before trying to fix things, under the assumption that was even possible at this point.

Levy couldn't believe Gajeel had been so calm after what she'd done to Lucy. All he did was tell her to leave, even after her former friend broke down into a panic attack in front of them. So, she turned and slowly walked away before picking up the pace and breaking out into a sprint, headed to her room in Fairy Hills.

Next, Gajeel approached Lucy and Loke. At this point, she had calmed down somewhat, so she allowed Loke to gently hold her. In addition, her sobs had died down and only silent tears swept down her face. He realized the two were talking to each other quietly, and he interrupted them by clearing his throat.

" Uh...Hey, kid," Gajeel began to speak. The two who were wrapped up in each other turned to look at him. Lucy's lips turned down and she flinched back in fear. He couldn't really be surprised; everyone knew Gajeel adored Levy. Her concern was probably that he agreed with Levy's actions and wanted to finish what she'd started. He had to let her know that was not the case," I'm sorry for the shrimp's actions. I should've gotten here sooner; she was actin all stir crazy earlier. But I'll keep her in check from now on, so I'll see ya later, Bunny Girl."

Immediately after he finished saying what he had to say, he turned and left to go catch up with Levy. Lucy was surprised that Gajeel had been so civil towards her. It looked like she still had a few friends after all. His simple act of kindness slightly opened her eyes, and she felt extremely grateful for his loyalty.

Speaking of loyalty, she was in the arms of one of her spirits, and he had no intention of letting her go until he knew she was no longer in a state of panic. She hid her eyes from Loke as he ran a comforting hand up and down her spine. Her breaths were shaky, but her tears had finally stopped.

"I shouldn't have left you there. Damnit, I knew something wasn't right. This was all my fault; I'm so sorry, Lucy," he said, feeling like a complete failure.

"It's not your fault, Loke," she reassured him quietly," I mean, I'm pretty pathetic."

"That's not true! You're hurting and lonely, Princess. Jet isolated you after you were already wounded by Natsu's death. I'm sure everyone feels terrible now that they know the truth. I don't think they all feel the way Levy does at all," Loke reasoned with her, though he could tell she was unconvinced.

Since she didn't believe him but didn't want to argue either, she just stayed silent.

"Listen, today was a big step for you. You finally got up and out of that bed of yours. Don't let what that little brat did deter you," Loke said," You and I both know being this sad all the time isn't normal. I just... I know I can do better to protect you in the future, so please don't give up on getting better. I'll make you happy again if it's the last thing I do."

Lucy didn't want to leave her apartment ever again, especially after what had just happened. But at the same time, she had to admit her reaction was pathetic. Lucy couldn't believe she'd started crying from something as small as a punch in the face. After all of the physical and emotional abuse she had received in the past, and a measly punch that barely hurt made her break down into hysterics. Levy's punch had nothing on Gajeel's, so the fact she had reacted so strongly embarrassed her further.

She didn't want to react that way ever again. She didn't want to be or feel this way anymore. Lucy knew her constant sour moods were indicative of something severe, and if Loke was offering her assistance, it seemed the only option would be to take it. The constant anxieties of being around others would be extremely difficult to get past at first, but she needed to start somewhere.

Lucy knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she did want to be happy again, so she just needed to summon up the courage to accept his offer to help her. With his support, her chances of recovering was already increasing, and now she at least knew she still had allies like Gajeel. It might have been a while since she'd really connected with her nakama, but it didn't mean she'd lost them. Once she was better, she could reconnect.

"Whatever, fine... I want to get better, too, Loke... Can we please go home now?" she begged.

Loke was positively ecstatic. He was so sure today would've destroyed any hope of Lucy ever progressing again, but she'd proved to be more resilient than that. After hearing her agreement, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"But of course, Princess. Now if you would allow me to lead you home?" he asked, standing up from the bench and offering her his arm.

Lucy stared hard at the appendage for several seconds before standing up and sighing in mild irritation. Despite that, she looped her arm through his and allowed him to walk her back to her apartment. She didn't want to admit it, but him holding her even just like this was extremely soothing.

* * *

Hi guys, sorry about the wait. Stuff happened which made me busy. Expect more frequent updates from here on out.

Also, ShyGirl2000 is running a fanfiction community called Lucy's Troubles. Would definitely recommend taking a look at it.

As usual, please read, review, favorite, and follow. Thanks.


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